Onyx frowned as she undid the ropes securing the Flying Dodger to the pier, but she didn't hesitate to throw them aboard and lift her boot onto the rail, balancing over the precarious space between the dock and the ship.
"Promise me you'll be alright," she muttered as her eyes swept over the empty deck and secured sail.
The sea breeze whistled through the rigging and a pulley tapped against the mast.
Onyx smirked.
"See you on the other side, baby."
The waves splashed loudly against the hull and the small boat bucked away from the dock. Onyx pulled her boot back before she lost her balance and grinned after her Dodger.
"A little eager, aren't we?" she sighed.
She turned and set off down the pier, not looking back as the small vessel drifted further and further out to sea.
Onyx pulled the brim of her hat down over her eyes, finding more comfort than utility in the gesture since the sun had long disappeared over the horizon. She had changed out of her jumpsuit and once again bore her favourite black turtleneck and cargo pants.
She blended seamlessly with the shadows and stalked through the town on silent feet. Anyone who caught sight of her thought only that it had been a trick of the light, fooling their eyes and casting strange shadows through the depths of the back-alleys.
Her destination rested in a hidden bay on the uninhabited side of the island. The sheer cliffs that formed the coast of this inlet plunged straight into fathoms-deep water, permitting a ship as large as the one belonging to the Kid Pirates to drop anchor right alongside and forgo the use of rowboats.
Onyx scanned the empty deck of the Victoria Punk from her perch in the branches of an overhanging palm tree.
Other than the two men in the crow's nest chuckling to each other, the ship was silent. She knew Killer had been honest when he'd told her the crew would be out partying, but she was still surprised at the lack of security. Hopefully the two watchdogs wouldn't give her any trouble.
Onyx swung down from her tree; her boots hit the deck with muffled thuds and she stumbled a bit.
"Oof, didn't think I was that high up," she steadied herself against the rail.
"Right on time."
Onyx readjusted her hat and smoothed the wrinkles of her coat as she turned around.
"You're certainly quick to greet visitors," she smirked as Killer approached along the side deck where she had landed.
He slowed his steps and leaned against the rail beside her. Onyx noted the tense atmosphere and took a step back.
"Is the dear Captain going to join us?" she asked, eyes flitting about in search of the hulking redhead.
"No, he's still in town," Killer muttered.
Onyx frowned.
The wind creaked through the rigging, bringing a hushed silence in after it. Her attention returned to the blond and she felt her cheeks warming.
Killer had changed into a pair of jeans and a well-fitting white t-shirt and Onyx's eyes were constantly being drawn to those perfect half-exposed biceps.
Fuck!
"I don't know why we couldn't do this earlier," she snapped, forcing her gaze away, "I could be gone by now. I don't like delays."
Killer shifted and crossed his arms over his slim, well-defined chest.
"My apologies," he bowed his head slightly, "But the chances of us being overheard here are next to none."
Onyx gave a brief nod of agreement, her eyes digging into the blue and white stripes that hid his face.
"Before we start... What made you take notice of me?" the question leapt from her lips before she could call it back.
"Can't a man approach a beautiful woman?" Killer returned.
Onyx glared at him.
"A waitress tipped me off," Killer quickly relented, "She said a dangerous woman was watching our crew. I thought you were a call girl sent to get information on us..."
Onyx nodded slowly, feeling no pain on her body.
Killer cleared his throat.
"So how does this work then?" he asked.
Onyx raised an amused eyebrow and crossed her arms.
"Tell me what information you would like me to find and I will decide whether it's worth my time."
Killer paused, his fingers tapping lightly along the rail. Onyx zoned in on the movement, searching for any hint to the man's thoughts.
"How can I know you won't hear what I have to say and then go blab our plans to our enemies?" he asked.
Onyx let out a short grunt of laughter.
"You know, it's usually only the Marines who ask me that," she cocked her head to the side, "Pirates just assume that I will and they take the risk anyway."
Killer's mask stared blankly back at her, unsettling her in a way she did not find amusing.
"Have you heard of me ever doing such a thing? There's a reason I'm so sought after," she sighed, "But I'm afraid all I can give you is my word."
She turned to face him fully and lifted a hand to her heart.
"On my honour."
Unsurprisingly, the pirate didn't believe her.
"But if someone wants to know what the Kid Pirates asked of you, you will tell them," Killer challenged.
Onyx hesitated briefly before nodding.
"If they pay well enough. I have very high fees for traitorous requests."
Killer's mask turned to the darkened shore.
"At least you're honest about it," he sighed.
Onyx's eyes flashed and she tossed her hair over her shoulder.
"I pride myself in completing my missions," she snapped, "Once I've accepted a job, it doesn't concern me who is asking for what."
"I'm sure you've made a lot of enemies thinking like that," Killer said.
Onyx stiffened and shot him a curious glance, but his head was still turned towards the shore.
"Perhaps," she said slowly, "But I don't stay long enough in any one place to find out what others think of me."
Another gust of wind rattled the rigging and threatened to steal her hat away.
The deck tilted slightly under their feet, but the seasoned sailors remained steady.
"So what is it you want to know?" Onyx muttered, getting annoyed at how long this conversation was dragging on.
Killer was reluctant to speak, which didn't help her irritation, but Onyx forced herself to be patient. If she played this right, she could get what she came for and be out of here in no time.
"There are many powerful people on the Grand Line," Killer finally began, "Kid will be the Pirate King, he's strong enough and he has the will to do so. We've beaten every rival we've come up against so far.... but I know we're heading for more dangerous waters. There's one crew in particular that I'd like to know how to get rid of before they become a real threat."
A frown began pulling at Onyx's lips.
"If you've been searching for me for any length of time you've definitely started creating your own network of contacts," she said, "Why would you need me for something as simple as this?"
Killer's fingers tensed against the rail and his head tilted towards her.
"Being at sea as often as we are, it's difficult to speak with anyone under urgent circumstances. Most information brokers hole up under a wealthy benefactor and live a comfortable life on a well-protected island," he said, "I was lucky enough to hear your name and that you also travel. I figured it would be easier to keep in touch with you than anyone else."
Onyx's frown deepened.
"That doesn't answer my question," she muttered.
Killer sighed and pushed off the rail. He turned and leaned back, letting his cascade of blond hair wave in the now steady breeze. Onyx couldn't help but watch it dance. Little did she know that Killer was similarly eyeing her own dark tresses.
"The person who gave me your name also saw you in the company of the pirate we want," he said.
Onyx blinked and also leaned back against the rail. She and Killer were now almost shoulder to shoulder, but that went unnoticed for the moment.
Onyx wracked her memory, going through the multiple pirates she had run into recently. Someone had seen her with said pirate, so that eliminated any of the Charlottes. Mihawk wasn't a pirate, and no one had witnessed their meeting either...
Could the Kid Pirates be interested in the Straw Hats, like everyone else seemed to be? Or maybe Bege? Or-
Her eyes narrowed and she glared at the planks under her feet.
"Who?" she snapped.
Killer shifted his stance, turning to face her and crossing his arms over his chest. The movement took him a step closer and Onyx tensed when her gut gave an unwelcomed flip.
"Trafalgar Law and the Heart Pirates," he said.
Onyx's nails dug into her palms but she kept her expression neutral.
"Hm," she tilted her head to the side, keeping her eyes on the deck, "I know him. What do you want with him?"
"I'd like him dead, to be honest," Killer said, "But right now I'd like to know more about his devil fruit. I hear it's one of the most powerful."
Onyx remained silent for a few moments, pretending to mull it over.
"I'll tell you what I want in return," she said, "If you will pay, I'll tell you what I know."
Killer stood in silence for a few long seconds.
"Alright."
Onyx stifled her smirk and finally tore her eyes from the deck. She turned and lifted her hand, catching a lock of that luscious blond hair between her fingers.
Killer stiffened but did not pull away.
"Instead of money, I want information from you, Killer," she hummed, leaning in closer, "I want to know everything about that wild captain of yours, I've no doubt he has a good devil fruit as well. I also want to know how many are under his command and how strong they are. And I want to know what you were looking into on Stratta. You can choose which to tell me now, as your down-payment."
From her brief observations of Killer, she guessed he would put his captain and crew's wellbeing first, especially since she wasn't giving him the chance to discuss this with Kid.
To keep him from thinking about it too hard she continued her ministrations on his hair, inching her hand closer and closer to his helmet.
The masked man was silent for a long while. He stood so still that if she hadn't known better, Onyx would have thought he'd nodded off. She was a little disappointed that he wasn't reacting to her playful hair pulling, but her patience was rewarded when he finally shook his head and let out a short sigh.
"I see why I was warned about you," he growled.
Warned about me?
A large hand suddenly ensnared her waist and she was whirled around and pressed against the wall of the ship. Her mouth opened to protest but a rough finger fell across her lips, brushing lightly across her skin.
"I was telling the truth before. We were looking into weapons Kid could add to his collection," Killer began in a strained voice, "We happened upon some books mentioning... a certain ancient weapon."
He paused as if waiting for a reaction. Onyx merely nodded, urging him to continue.
Killer's finger left her mouth and began tracing along her jawline.
"This weapon is named Juno, and it's said those who wield it gain strength a thousand times their own power," he said, "When Kid heard that, he decided it would be our next goal-"
"What?!"
Onyx let out a loud groan and abruptly pushed Killer off her. He stepped back without resisting and she turned away, massaging her temples in an effort to soothe the sudden frustration induced headache that threatened to overcome her.
She was going to kill Spandam!
"You know of this weapon?" Killer grunted in her ear.
I can't believe this whole operation was a waste of time!
Her mind worked a mile a minute as she tried to digest this information.
Ah...
Her eyes narrowed and she suppressed a smirk.
That's perfect actually.
Now she could get out of here without compromising Law. She just had to play this right...
Onyx let out a long sigh before turning to glare at the masked man. He hadn't backed off and her nose was now inches from his mask.
"A word of advice," she snapped, "Give up. That weapon, Juno... it doesn't exist."
"Eh?"
"It's a fake. A plant by the world government to lure in traitors. If you follow any clues to its location, you'll find a marine ambush waiting for you."
Killer took a step back and crossed his arms.
"How do I know you aren't lying?" he asked.
Onyx rolled her eyes and shrugged.
"You don't," she snapped.
The World Government wasn't completely inept when it came to discouraging research into banned subjects. They'd developed their own network of 'clues' and 'weapons' to lure in unsuspecting rebels.
The Marines knew where these fake clues were hidden, of course. Onyx was aware of the locations of a few, but she had been ignorant to this specific one.
But there was no doubt Spandam knew exactly what kind of information was hidden in the Stratta Library.
Why the hell had he sent her off on a wild goose chase?!
She really was going to kill that purple-haired swamp rat.
Killer kept watching her, not moving out of his doubtful stance. Onyx brought a hand up to massage her forehead.
"Look, I don't care if you believe me," she growled.
This reveal had soured her mood, but now that she'd gotten what she'd needed she could leave this annoyingly attractive blond.
Onyx grabbed the rail and hoisted one leg up over it.
"I don't know why I even told you. Go find it for all I care. That'll be one less pirate crew on the sea-!"
And then her back was once again pressed against the pirate ship.
Large hands grasped her waist and a deliciously toned chest was suddenly flush with hers, pinning her just like back in the alley. Onyx's eyes widened as the blue and white stripped mask bent over her. Warm breath fanned her lips, bringing a flush to her cheeks.
"You said you don't usually resort to violence," she panted, "I'm finding that hard to believe."
One of Killer's hands came up to cup her chin, playing his finger along her bottom lip.
But Onyx's attention was sidetracked by the hand that remained on her waist. His thumb was tracing circles over her shirt, slowly pulling at the fabric. An icy chill jolted through her as the barest amount of skin was exposed to the cool night breeze.
SHIT!
"You seem to bring out my animalistic side," Killer murmured in her ear, "Now I've made my down-payment. I expect you to honour our agreement."
Time to end this.
Onyx's left hand lunged up and grabbed Killer's bare wrist. She gave her hips a sultry shake, grinding against both Killer and the wall behind her.
The motion managed to pull her shirt back down to where it should be and had the added bonus of distracting the man. She smirked at the faint but eager intake of breath from behind the mask.
You got too close there. She ran her fingertips along his skin, noting the goosebumps that lifted in the wake of her touches. Poor Killer, I was never going to accept your offer from the moment Law's name left your lips.
"Oh?" Onyx pouted, feeling the familiar tingling warmth pass through her fingers, "But I have honoured our agreement. I already told you what you wanted. That weapon you read about is a fake. There is no Juno. That's what you wanted from me."
The blond paused, his fingers working against her waist as the effect took hold.
Onyx stared at the mask, peering through the small holes in an attempt to find the eyes she knew were clouding with doubt and second thoughts.
"Right..." Killer's head tilted to the side as the effect of her devil fruit blossomed, "Sorry, my mistake."
He released her and stepped back, shaking his head slightly as if to clear it. Onyx stifled her triumphant smirk.
"Oi, Killer! Where are you?"
The irritated shout only preceded the captain of the Kid Pirates by a second; not enough time for either Onyx or Killer to terminate their meeting.
Eustass Kid appeared around the wall from the main deck and jerked to a halt when his gaze fell on the pair.
"What the fuck is this?" Kid spat, his reptilian eyes narrowing to slits.
That's my cue.
Onyx turned around and flashed the red beast a coy smirk.
"Why hello, Eustass 'Captain' Kid," she purred, "Your wanted poster certainly doesn't do you justice."
A spark of familiarity flashed through his amber eyes as a fresh sea breeze ruffled his hair.
The wind carried a small, almost inaudible voice to her ears.
Onyx smiled.
She was quite surprised at how fast Kid was on the uptake. And even more surprised at the light that burst to life in those eyes as he looked her over.
"Damn," he spat out the word half as a curse and half as a compliment.
Onyx's attention dropped briefly to his lips and she wondered what kind of lipstick he used; that was a great colour. Then she felt Killer shift behind her.
"Well, I've gotten what I came for," Onyx narrowly dodged his restraining hand and tossed her hair over her shoulder, "Bye bye, boys."
With a wave and a smirk, she took a running leap over the railing and plummeted towards the water below.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Both men were taken completely by surprise when the mysterious woman jumped overboard, and so they didn't immediately move to see her plunge into the dark waves lapping at the ship's hull.
But when no telltale splash was heard, Killer lunged for the rail and peered over.
There was no trace of the woman. She had vanished into thin air... or drowned. But he couldn't quite make himself believe that.
Kid joined his partner and searched the inky water for a moment, his thin eyebrow lifting at the lonely waves.
"Who was she?" he asked, stepping back from the rail, "Usually girls are falling all over you, not jumping off boats to get away."
"Fuck!" Killer slammed his fist against the rail in a rare display of frustration, "That was Black Heart!"
Kid's smirk fell and was replaced with an unamused frown.
"That information broker you wanted to find?" he muttered.
"Yeah," Killer sighed, his gaze travelling over the empty water below one more time before he abandoned the rail.
His shoulders rose and fell, and then he let out a bitter grunt.
"She played me like a fiddle. I don't know how the hell she managed to..." he absentmindedly massaged his wrist.
Kid snorted.
"It isn't often you let a woman escape," he sneered, "And by the look of her she'd have been a great fuck."
A muffled groaned issued from behind the mask and Kid's eyes widened before laughter rumbled through his chest.
"Wahahahahaha! Sucks to be you tonight!" he beat on Killer's shoulder.
The blond simply stood there and took it.
After a few minutes Kid had regained his breath and the pair made their way out onto the main deck.
"I was thinking we'll stick around for one more day before setting off for Juno," Kid said, "I want to have a bit more fun here."
"Uh... about that..." Killer let out a sigh.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Onyx held her breath as she plunged toward the sea.
The cliff face was dangerously close; had she put a little more force into her leap she would have scraped against it all the way down.
Somehow her luck held and her body fell between the pirate ship's hull and the sheer rock without touching either.
The dark waves surged greedily up to devour her, but instead of splashing into them her boots thumped against solid wood.
A relieved sigh escaped Onyx as she staggered over to the rail and gave it a grateful pat.
"Thanks for catching me, baby. You always get here just in time," she quickly moved across the Flying Dodger and hoisted the sail, "That somehow worked out nicely. Now let's get out of here before they decide what to do about me."
She yanked the rudder around and the tiny vessel squeezed out from behind the large pirate ship and sailed off into the night.